Adjustable band-saw wheel mounting means



Mach 1, 1949.

E. C. STEINER ADJUSTABLE BAND SAW WHEEL MOUNTING MEANS Filed Oct. 12, 1946 \ugg a? INVEN T612.

STE/-52 A T'TOENE Y EZEK/E'L C;

Patented Mar. 1, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ADJUSTABLE BAN D- SAW WHEEL MOUNTING MEANS Ezekiel C. Steiner, Los Angeles, Calif. Application October 12, 1946, Serial No. 702,978

2 Claims.

. This invention relates to wheel mounting means and deals more especially with means for mountingthe upper wheel of a bandsaw or like machine.

An object of the present invention is to provide novel and improved means whereby onepreferably the upper-wheel of a bandsaw is adjustably mounted for taking up slack in the band and resiliently supporting the wheel during operative use.

Another object of the invention is to provide wheel mounting means as indicated designed to facilitate mechanical orientation or alignment of the wheel and the support means therefor whereby the need for extreme accuracy in the manufacture and assembly of the parts is obviated.

Another object of the invention is to provide improved means for both adjustably and demountably supporting a wheel of the type indidated and thereby facilitating adjustable tensioning of the wheel and also simplifying mounting or demounting of the wheel.

The invention also has for its objects to provide means of the character indicated that are positive in operation, convenient in use, easily installed in working position and easily disconnected therefrom, economical to manufacture, relatively simple, and of general superiority and serviceability.

The invention also comprises novel details of construction and novel combinations and arrangements of parts, which will more fully appear from the following description. However, the drawing and the description serve to disclose only one embodiment of the present invention which is given as by way of example only.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side view of the upper portion of a bandsaw with the cover thereof removed and showing wheel mounting means embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view as taken on the plane of the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a broken view of said bandsaw portion as seen from the opposite side of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional detail view as taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a similar view as taken on the line 5-5 of Fig.2.

The present wheel mounting means is embodied in a housing In which is the upper extension of a bandsaw or like machine. The housing is provided with a suitable closure cover II which may be opened laterally on vertical hinges to expose the interior of the housing.

The wheel mounting means which is illustrated comprises, generally, a trunnion block slide I2 fixedly mounted on the housing I0, a trunnion block'l3 associated with the slide I2, a hanger bolt I4 for the block I 3, a tension regulating knob I5 threadedly engaged with the bolt I4, a compression spring I 6 in a seat I1 provided in the housing It] and compressible by the knob to vary the tension on the block I3, indicating means I8 externally visible for indicating the relative position of the fixed and movable parts of the mounting means, and a wheel I9 mounted on the block I3 and about which is trained a bight of a saw band 20.

The trunnion block slide I 2 is shown as a casting Which is secured to the housing III by screws or bolts 2| in general alignment with the spring seat H, the latter being formed as an integral boss on the housing. The block I2 is provided with a lower centrally arranged and outwardly directed vertical slot 22 and with a pair of upper spaced and vertical slots 23 directed toward each other.

The trunnion block I3 is a casting which is provided with an inwardly directed trunnion pin 24 to engage and move in the slot 22 and with laterally directed trunnion pins 25 for similar engagement in slots 23. In this manner, the block I3 is mounted for vertical movement with respect to slide I2, the three trunnion pins guiding the block to obviate tilting thereof and also both lateral and front to back displacement.

The upper end of the block is formed as a curved hook 26 which is notched at 21. The hook 26 is designed to receive a cross bar 28 provided on the end of the hanger bolt I4 and the notch 21 is provided to accommodate the shank 29 of said bolt. The hook 26 is directed inward- 1y so that by dropping the bolt I4, the block I3 may be disengaged therefrom, slid downwardly on its trunnions, and disconnected from the slide I2. The shank 29 of the bolt I4 is formed with one or more keys 30 which extend through suitable keyways 3| formed in the seat boss I1. The bolt I4 is thereby mounted for vertical movement but is held against turning about the axis of the shank 29.

The end of the shank 29 which extends through the spring seat I1 is threaded for the knob I5 which resides above the top of the housing I I]. The means I8 includes a member 32 which is apertured for a lower extension formed on the knob. Said member 32 has a down-reaching bifurcated portion 33 which resides adjacent to the lateral wall 34 of the housing III. The member 32 is thereby held against rotation during rotation, manually, of the knob 15. The spring l6 encircles the shank 29 of bolt 14 and is confined endwise by its seat l1 and the member 32. A spot 35 on the member 32 is correlated with a spot 38 on the wall 34 to give external visual indication of the degree to which the spring 16 is compressed. An alignment of the spots would indicate normal tension for a given length of saw band and abnormally enlarged mis-alignment would indicate either too light or too great a tension on the saw band.

The wheel [9 is provided with an axle 31 which extends outward from the trunnion block [3, said wheel being freely rotatable on the axle. The band 20 is trained over the wheel.

Assembly of the parts is relatively simple since accurate alignment of the slide l2 and block I3 with the bolt l4 and its connected parts, is not necessary, since ample lateral play at the connection of the block hook 2B and the bolt I4 may be embodied in the design of the parts. Inasmuch as the wheel is outboard of the block l3 and the latter is vertically aligned with the hanger bolt, the pull of the band on the wheel exerts a force about the trunnions 25, to urge the trunnion 24 firmly into the slot 22 and in desired vertical position.

It will be seen that suitable upward tension is imparted by the spring IE to the saw band and that said band is resiliently mounted in the manner described. Disassembly of the wheel 19 is easily effected by slacking off on the knob l5 until the trunnions 24 and 25 move out of their slots. The block I3 is then unhooked from the hanger bolt M and the wheel together with the block l3 can be removed. Assembly is as easily efiected.

While I have illustrated and described what I now regard as the preferred embodiment of my invention, the construction, being subject to modification, I do not wish to restrict myself to the particular form of construction disclosed, but desire to avail myself of such modifications that may fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1 In a wheel mounting means, a wheel, a block mounting said wheel for relative rotation, lateral trunnion pins on the block on one side of the wheel axis, atran sverse trunnion pin on the block on the other side of said axis, a f xed member having guides for said trunion pins to guide said block for straightline movement, a hook formed on the block and comprising spaced lateral hook portions, a hanger bolt having a shank and lateral head portions at the end of said shank, said head portions being separably engaged in the spaced hook portions and the shank extending in the space between said hook portions and generally longitudinally with the mentioned block, and means engaged with the shank of the hanger bolt for adjusting endwise pull thereon and the tension of a saw band trained about said wheel.

2. In a wheel mounting means, a wheel, a block mounting said wheel for relative rotation, lateral trunnion pins on the block on one side of the wheel axis, a transverse trunnion pin on the block on the other side of said axis, a fixed member having guides for said trunnion pins to guide said block for straight-line movement, a hook formed on the block and comprising spaced lateral hook portions, a hanger bolt having a shank and lateral head portions at the end of said shank, said head portions being separably engaged in the spaced hook portions and the shank extending in the space between said hook portions and generally longitudinally with the mentioned block, a fixed housing for the wheel and carrying the member housing the guides, said housing having a seat, therein and said hanger bolt shank extending through said seat, an adjusting knob on the end of said shank, and a compression spring in said seat and exerting pressure on the knob to urge the bolt and the block and the wheel on the latter in a direction to tension a saw band trained about said wheel.

EZEKIEL C. STEINER.

EF B NQE C TED The following references are of record in. the 

